Camping consultations close on Monday

Our two camping-related consultations close on Monday at 4pm.

One concerns some proposed amendments to our Freedom Camping Bylaw; the other is a proposed bylaw about camping on private property.

Standards of Camping Bylaw

This proposed bylaw is about making sure that anyone camping on private property has access to basic sanitation and does not pose a nuisance to neighbours - whether people are camping on a farm paddock or at a bach in one of our seaside towns.

It sets out rules on how close camping can be to the road or neighbouring properties, and sets minimum standards of sanitation for campers; for example, around how many toilets are required for a group of campers.

TCDC first made a bylaw which regulated camping on private property in 1982 and the proposed Standards of Camping bylaw which we are currently consulting on is the latest iteration of this.

For more detail please see the statement of proposal on our consultation portal and tell us what you think.

Freedom Camping Bylaw amendments

The other consultation is about some small changes being made to our Freedom Camping Bylaw.

The amendments are very limited; just seven sites across the District: in Hikutaia, Thames, Te Puru, Port Charles, Matarangi, Opito Bay and Pauanui - and how they are classified in the bylaw.

Council is proposing to remove one site from the bylaw, introduce one site into the bylaw, change the classification on four of the sites and proposing to leave one classification the same. We are now seeking public feedback on each of these.

In the nine months our Freedom Camping Bylaw has been operational, we've had positive feedback from campers, ratepayers and our staff about how freedom camping now works in the Coromandel. It is also clear from that feedback that some small changed should be made.

To view close-up maps of each site, read more on the proposed amendments and tell us what you think of them, go to our consultation portal.

To submit on either consultation:

You can submit online through the consultation portal or,
email your submission to customer.services@tcdc.govt.nz,
post to Thames-Coromandel District Council, Private Bag, Thames,
fax to (07) 868 0234,
or drop off your submission at one of the Council offices in Thames, Coromandel, Whitianga or Whangamata.

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